Stencil decorating machine



Aug. 5, 1952 B. MARTIN STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet l z z u a u m m. .i m .2. 98% it 8 l- F 5 7 Fl WUHMMMWIW a m m m m INVENTOR- A r r m/E75.

g- 5, 1952 B. MARTIN 2,605,700

STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

34 ATTO Y VFYS Aug. 5, 1952 MARTIN 2,605,700

STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR. W 81 Ward, m H i W Tram/E75.

Aug. 5, 1952 B. MARTIN STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. W W

AT R EXi Aug. 5, 1952 RTI 2,605,700

STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN V EN TOR. 41mm BY wan 61mg, H

A Tram/Fri Aug. 5, 1952 B. MARTIN 2,605,700

STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. BYE/ 1% 7 7 z 40nd, MW/MMW Patent ed Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STENCIL DECORATING MACHINE Bradford Martin, Washington, Pa., assignor to Solar Engineering & Equipment Company, Beaver, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 6, 1949, Serial No. 91,710

7 Claims. (01. 1-123) This invention relates to an improved machine for marking or printing the surface of relatively flat or concave ware and particularly for applying designs or figures upon dinner plates, saucers and similar ware by pressing a pigment or paint through a stationary stencil screen upon the ware surface by a moving squeegee, with the ware clamped in a stationary position.

The principal objects have been to provide an automatic machine which performs successive stencilling operations at a high production rate, to provide a structure forv stretching the stencil screen tautly over a concave ware surface with the ware and screen fixed against relative movementsduring passage of the squeegee so as to produce clear sharp impressions, and to provide an automatic interlock to prevent damage to the screen if a ware piece is omitted from the machine during one or several cycles of operation.

Stencil screens for this work are thin membranes of silk or other fragile material mounted in frames and having design areas for passage of the pigment, the screen being stretched tautly over the ware surface and the pigment deposited by the wiping action of the squeegee in passing over the stencil. As applied to table ware and similar ceramic products, the pigment may be a pulverized composition of ceramic material adapted to be fused into the surface of the ware by firing the ware after the stencilling operation. The pigment for other than ceramic or vitreous articles may be any self drying medium appropriate to the ware material.

In the decorating operation, the stencil and ware must be held in 'fixed relationship so that there is no smudging of the design due to relative movement between the screen and ware as the squeegee wipes across the stencil. Also, by reason of the fragile nature of the stencil screen, it is essential that the screen be supported by the ware surface over which it is stretched. If the squeegee presses upon the unsupported stencil screen, it usually stretches the screen may; damages it so that it can no longer be used or else the squeegee actually destroys the stencil by tearing it from itsframe.

When multicolor decorations are applied to the ware, the several colors are applied one after another at separate operations by the use of a different screen'for each color. Theware necessarily must be brought into accurate registry with the s'tencil'scree n so that the successive designs may be in accurate registry with respect to each other.

posit upon the ware piece.

The present machine operates continuously through successive cycles of operation, first to. centralize'and clamp the ware piece accurately in registry with the stencil, press the ware against the stencil, then to pass a squeegee over the superposed stencil and ware and finally .to raise the squeegee and lower the ware from the screen for removal from the machine at the end of the cycle. Briefly, the apparatus constitutes a vertically movable chuck having jaws .to center the ware piece, a stationary stencil screen located above the chuck and avertically movable squeegee assembly poised above the screen. During each cycle the chuck and ware piece are elevated into engagement with the stencil,-1 a pressure plate engages the upper surface of the screen and ware tostretch the screen over the concave face of the ware, the centering jaws move into contact with the periphery of the ware piece to centralize it with the stencil decorations, the squeegee is lowered into pressure engagement against the stencil screen, then swept in an orbit over the face of the stencil to force the pigment through the stencil decorations for de- The ware pieces preferably are fed into the machine by-hand but, if desired, an automatic loader can beutilized for this purpose. The machine incorporates a safety arrangement which locks the squeegee assembly in an elevated position should aware piece be omitted from the, chuck so that the squeegee cannot contact the screen and damage it.

In stencilling dinner plates and other ware having a concave surface, it is difficult to place the stencil screen, which is normally flat, into intimate contact with the concave surface. For this pmpose there is provided' a spring loaded plate engaging the upper surface of the screen which presses the center area of 'the screen down, bowing or stretching it to a cone-shape conforming substantially to the concave face of the ware piece. When the ware piece is raised into 1 engagement with the screenrthe screen nests into the ware, with the screen stretched snugly across the converging face of the'piece. In order to prevent smudging, the pressure plate also clamps. the ware and screen together unitarily and presses the ware against the non rotatable chuck to hold, the ware stationary during the printing sweep of thesque'egee. After printing, the ware islowered in a straight 'linefrom the stencil to avoid smudging as itdisengages the stencil. 1

Making the stencil screen conform to a con- 3 cave ware surface by a pressure responsive backing plate adapts the machine to any reasonably concave ware contour. In practice, it is; expedient to provide a chuck block to support the ware [made from non-metallic material such as wood, to form a recessed ware seat mounted on the chuck. The pressure plate for bowing the screen also is made of wood. These parts are replaceable so that they can be made up in sets according to the peculiar requirements of various ware shapes and sizes. chuck block is slightly smaller than the ware diameter so that the ware overhangs the block for engagement by the centering jaws. Thus, the operator places the ware in partially cen tered position upon the recessed block and final centering is accomplished by the jaws,

The pressure plate not only nests the screen into the ware but also clamps the stencil and Ware firmly, permitting the centering jaws to retract out of the path of squeegee swing during stencilling. Otherwise stated, the, stencil and were .are clamped together centrally and the squeegee travels around the uninterrupted margin of the, ware. The same structure can be utilized for flat ware or convex ware by adjusting the machine to raise the ware to or above the normal plane of the screen so as to stretch the screen over the ware instead. of into it.

A further object has been to provide. an arrangement by which the chuck and centering jaws are actuated and the squeegee raised and lowered by cams driven from a common shaft, combined with a simplified driving arrangement for, sweeping the squeegeeintermittently through a printing stroke when it is lowered upon the squeegee in synchronism with the operation of the chuck and centering jaws.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from th detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the machine as disclosed in the drawings, sothat those skilled in the art will comprehend readily the various modifications of which the apparatus is capable.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general front elevation of the machinewith the parts shown in position at the beginning of a working cycle, the stencil screen belngpartially broken away to illustrate the relationship of the pressure disk and squeegee relative to the screen. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine with the parts in the same position as in Figure l and with the interlock latch for the squeegee arm shown in a latching position. 7

Figure 3'is a side elevation similar to Figure 2, but showing the position of theparts during a stencilling operation with the chuck and wars elevated to the stencil screen, the squeegee interlock latch in a normal inoperative position and the squeegee arm lowered to place the squeegee against the stencil.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 1, detailing the cam unit with the cams and associated levers in operating positions corresponding to the relationship of the parts shown inFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5, Figure 4, further detailing the structure. of the cam unit and illustratingthe intermittent driving mechanism for the squeegee Figure 6 is a fragmentary topplan View of the stencilling machine, illustrating "the driving chain and sprockets for transmitting the intermittent drive to the squeegee and the general The recessed relationship of the stencil screen, ware chuck and operating linkage for the chuck jaws.

Figure '7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 7-1, Figure 3, illustrating the relationship of the parts corresponding to Figure 3, with the ware chuck elevated, the pressure disk and stencil screen in engagement with the ware and illustrating in broken lines the squeegee in wiping engagement with the stencil during its operating cycle.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8--8, Figure 2, detailing theconstruction of the yieldable beam for raising and lowering the squeegee.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9, Figure 2, detailing the strokev adjustment device by which the elevation of the chuck assembly may be regulated to accommodate various ware sizes.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line Iii-l 9, Figure 1, detailing the adjustable mounting structure for the squeegee armand squeegee relative to the chuck sleeve.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line li.l i, Figure 10, further detailing the adjustable mounting of the squeegee arm with respect to the chuck sleeve upon which it is mounted.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary view partially in section taken on line l2l2, Figure l, illustrating the yieldable chuck jaw operating lever and the cam and roller by which the lever is actuated.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary top plan View further illustrating the construction of the chuck jaw lever with respect to the cam and'rock plate.

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical circuit for operating the squeegee interlock.

General structure and operation As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the machine generally constitutes an angle iron base frame 28 having legs'2l, and a top frame 22 upon which is mounted the operating parts of the machine. The lower ends of the legs 2! include casters 23 and jack screws 24 to anchor the machine and if necessary, to adjust it to a level position.

Mounted upon the base is a vertically movable chuck assembly indicated generally at 25, having movable jaws. 2i engageable with the ware to center it upon the chuck relative to the screen and squeegee. A column 21 rises vertically from the rear of the base and includes a horizontal arm 28 overhanging the chuck and supporting a vertically movable squeegee assembly 30. A stencil unit 3! is mounted upon column 2'! between the squeegee assembly and chuck in positionto be interposed between the squeegee and ware when the chuck rises to its stencilling position. Arm 28 also supports a spring loaded pressure disk 32 adapted to press the stencil yieldably against the face of the ware and to clamp the ware piece by frictional engagement of the pressure plate- 32 against the ware, with the chuck jaws 26 withdrawn so as not to interfere with the operation of the'squeegee, as hereinafter described.

The moving parts of the machine are actuated in timed relationship with one another by means of a series of cams mounted upon and driven by a common cam shaft which is journalled in the cam housing 33 mounted upon the base of the machine. The structural details of the cam unit is disclosed most clearly in Figures 4 and 5. Mounted upon the underside of the cam housing (Figures 1 and 2) is a speed reducing unit 34 forming a part of a standard Reeves transmission system. The system constitutes a motor 35 in driving connection with the speed reducer 34 by'variable speed pulleys, connected by a V-belt 36. The motor is mounted uponan adjustable hanger 31 pivotally mounted as at 38 so as to permit the motor to be shifted toward or away from the speed reducer 34 by operation of a hand wheel 40, connected with the hanger 31. Operation of the hand wheel changes the diameters of the Reeves pulleys so as to vary the operating speed of the machine. A detailed description is omitted since the system is a commercial one.

The machine is designed particularly for decorating concave or flat ware pieces such as dinner plates, soup plates, saucersand the like and opcrates continuouslmthe work pieces being fed into the machine preferably by hand. In operation, the ware piece is placed upon the chuck 25 when the chuck is in its lowered position asshown in Figures 1 and 2. At this point in the cycle, the jaws26 are open to receive and center the work. The chuck assembly then rises and the jaws move toward each other to center the work upon the chuck so that the decorations on the stencil are in accurate registry with the circumference of the ware. The spring loaded pressure disk .32 contacts the upper surface of the stencil at its central area to bow the stencil somewhat into a cone shape to nest into the concave upper face of the work and to clamp the work against the chuck. The central area of. the stencil engaged by the disk contacts ware in advance of the. squeegee as the chuck. assembly rises since the normal position of, the pressure plate is considerably'lower than the operating edge of the squeegee. Also, the squeegee does not descend until clamping engagement is established between pressure disk and ware before descent of the squeegee assembly, the. centering jaws 26 move inwardly toward each other to center the ware with respect to the stencil so that the, stencil decorations are accurately aligned with the circumference of the plate. The jaws then retract to a normal position, clear of the periphery of the ware to permit the stencil squeegee to swing in an arc around the ware in a'wiping engagement with the stencil without interference by the jaws. .After the stencilling operation is completed, the stencil assembly rises out of engagement with the ware and the chuck assembly descends to its lowered position for the next cycle of operation. At this point the operator removes the stencilled ware and places the next piece upon the chuck. V

In order to prevent damage to the stencil screen, there is provided an electrical interlock between the chuck jaws 26 and the mechanism for raising and lowering the stencil assembly. When the machine runs through its cycle with a ware piece omitted from the chuck, the jaws 26 will move inwardly beyond the positionassumed when the movementof the'jaws is impeded by the ware. This overrun closes a safetyjswitch which energizes an interlocking circuit to a solenoid which latches the squeegee assembly in elevated position to prevent the squeegee from contacting the stencil screen and thus to prevent damage to the screen. The machine will continue to 0perate in this condition until the chuck jaws again encounter a ware piece at which time the normal operation of the stencil and squeegee willbe resumed. The details of the safety apparatus will be disclosed in detail at, a later point in the specification.

v Driving apparatus 7 The various moving parts of the'machi'ne are operated in timed relationship with each other by means of a series of cams and a Geneva arm and gear mounted within thecam housing 33 As best shown in Figures 4 and 5. the several cams are mounted in fixed relationship with each other upon a vertical cam shaft 4!, driven from the speed reducer unit 34, cam shaft 4| being rotatably journalled in bearings 42-42 mounted in the upper and lower walls 43 and 44 of housing 33. As indicated, there is provided a cam 45 for raising and lowering the squeegee assembly, a cam 46 for operating the chuck jaws 26, a cam 41 for raising and lowering the chuck assembly 25, and'a Geneva arm 48 for driving a Geneva gear 50. Each intermittent advancement of the'Geneva gear 50 rotates the squeegee through one cycle of revolution when the squeegee and ware are in engagement with the stencil screen as hereinafter described.

In order to synchronize the operations, the cams and Geneva arm are adjustably mounted upon the cam shaft. The mounting structure may follow any preferred design. In the form disclosed, the cams and arm are adjustably fixed to the cam shaft 4| by coupling sleeves 5| which are keyed as at 52 to shaft 4|. The coupling sleeves each include a tapered shank 53 frictionally engaged in a tapered bore formed in the respective cams and Geneva arm. The sleeves also include a head having arcuate slots similar to those shown in Figure 6, with mounting screws 56 passing through the slots into screwthreaded engagement with the respective cams. By loosening the screws, the cams may be adjusted relative to each other to time the operating parts of the machine for proper coordination. It will be noted in Figure 4 that cam 45 is secured to cam 46 by means of screws 51 screwthreaded into cam 45 and passing through arcuate slots of cam 46. By this arrangement, both cams are mounted upon a single coupling sleeve but are adjustable with respect to each other.

Chuck assembly The chuck assembly is raised and lowered by cam 41 through the medium of a lever 60 having one end pivoted upon a cross shaft 6| journalled as at 62-62 in the cam housing 33 (Figures 4 and 5). A cam roller 63 is journalled upon a stud 64 extending from arm 60 and engages a cam rail 65 forming a part of cam 41 to raise and lower arm 66 periodically. The swinging end of arm 60 extends through casing 33 (Figure 2) and includes a bifurcated yoke 66 having a pair of spaced rollers 61-6l rotatably mounted therein. These rollers are engaged in an annular-groove 68, formed by flange 6969 forming a part of a yoke bearing, generally indicated at 10. The bearing I0 is secured upon a vertical shaft H which supports the chuck assembly 25 for vertical reciprocation. In order to provide vertical adjustment of the chuck assembly relative to the stencil, bearing HI includes a screwthreaded sleeve 13 telescopically engaging shaft H, with the lower end of the shaft extending through the sleeve as detailed in Figure 9. A set screw 14 passes through the upper end of the sleeve and engages a flat 14a milled in shaft H to secure the shaft against rotation with respect to the sleeve and to lock the shaft at adjusted elevation. A knurled thimble 15 is screwthreaded upon the lower end of sleeve 13 and the thimble includes a bottom wall 16' having a bearing ball I? interposed between wall I6 and the projected end of shaft II. By rotating thimble I5 therefore, the'longitudinal position of shaft 'II rela tive to sleeve I3 may be varied so as to change the elevation'of the chuck assemblywith respect to the squeegee and stencil and thus accommodate various ware shapes and sizes,

Inorder to prevent rotation of the yoke hearing, there is provided a slide bar I8 .(Figures 1 and 2) having its upper end secured to a foot 86 forming a part ofcolumn 21. The yoke bearing assembly includes a horizontal arm 8| including a slideblock 82 slidably engaging the bar 18 to prevent rotation of theyoke bearing Ill as it reciprocates. Since shaft II is locked against rotation to bearing If: by set screw I4, this structure prevents rotation of the chuck assembly. a

The upper end of shaft II is slidably journalled in a bearing 83 forming a part of foot 80, above noted. The upper end of shaft II extends above the bearing 83 to receive the chuck spider 25 which is keyed as at 85 to the end of the shaft and securedlongitudinally in position by a set screw BQpassing through the spider hub 81 (Figure 7). Thus, the chuck spider is keyed against rotation upon shaft II and shaft Ii is locked against rotation by the radial arm BI and slide bar 18, so as to resist the turning force developed by actuating the mechanism for jaws 26, as hereinafter disclosed. By operation of cam Aland lever 65, the chuck spider 25 is elevated to the stencil'once during each cycle of operation to permit the operator to place a ware piece upon a the chuck to be'stencilled and to remove the stencil'led were at the end of the stroke.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the chuck plate or spider 25 is oonfigurated to provide three equally spaced radial arms to slidably support the three centering jaws 26, which move in unison periodically toward and away from each other on radial lines to center the ware. For this purpose each arm 83 includes a groove 8-9, with the three slots converging toward one another. In each slot there is disposed a block 93 slidably locked in place by the retaining rails 3I9I secured to the arms by screws 92. Each slide block 90 includes a-stud 93 extending downwardly through the slot and pivotally connected to the end of a link 94 secured by a nut 95. The links extend at a tangent and their inner ends are pivotally connected to a ring 96 loosely journalled upona counterturned portion of hub 81. The ring is secured upon the hub by a collar 93 fixed to the hubby one or more set screws. Rotary oscillation of ring as shifts the jaws by virtue of the tangential relationship of the links 94. The ring is actuated by an arm we, forming a part of the ring and the outer end .of the arm is engaged against a rock plate WI, to close and open the jaws periodically during the operating cycle of the machine, as hereinafter described.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, each jaw 25 constitutes an angular bracket I02 secured by screw As shown in. Figure 7, the

shaft II. The diameter-of seat its is slightly smaller than the diameter of the ware so that the'periphery of the ware overhangs the block for engagement by the jaws. The seat isformed preferably from wood or other relatively soft material to prevent chipping of the ware and its upper face is provided with a recessconforming to the shape of the ware so as to provide a firm support against the underside of the ware while it isfrictionally engaged by the pressure disk and squeegee. V p

The jawsare actuated bythe rock plate I II for which purpose the swinging end of arm I00 includes a roller IIIB engaged against one side of thepl'ate. The purpose of the plate is to permit the spider 25 to move vertically relative to the base and yet maintain an operating connection with a cam and lover mounted on the basefor shifting the jaws. For this purpose, the rock plate I!!! includes a shaft I09 having an upper end rotatably mounted in the spider 25, there being provided a thrust collar III! secured upon the end of the shaft to lock the shaft against endwis'e displacement for vertical movement of the plate with the spider. The lower end of the shaft extends downwardly as at ill beyond the lower edge of the plate (Figures 1 and 2) journalled in a slide bearing H2 to permit vertical and rocking movements of the plate. Plate IIII is swung in an are at timed intervals by means hereinafter disclosed, to swing arm mo in a direction to draw the tangential links 94 toward each other and thereby draw the clamping jaws together. A tension spring. H3 (Figure 6) having one end anchored upon thev spider 25'. and the opposite end connected to ring returns the arm and jaws to their normal open position after actuation by the pressure plate IOI."

Rock plate I61 is actuated to urge the jaws '26 into yieldable clamping engagement with the ware by the cam 4.6 (Figures 4 and 12) there being provided a roller H4 tracked against. the periphery of cam 46, journalled on an arm H5 which'is .fixed'to a vertical shaft H6. Cam 46 includes :a lobe II'I arranged to swing arm H5 periodically to the left as viewed in Figure 5 to partially rotate shaft H6. The lower end of shaft H6 is rotatably journalled in a sleeve H8 secured to the top wall of housing 33 having its lower end depending downwardly into the housing andits upper end H9 projecting above the base to provide-a support for a yieldable actuatmg arm assembly I29, arranged to actuate rock plate IBI'.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, assembly I20 constitutes an arm I22 keyed upon the upper endof shaft H8 and having a. bellcrank lever I :pivotally mounted by screw I24 upon the swinging end of the arm. One limb of the bell crank lever extends outwardly in alignment with arm I22 and includes a roller I25 pivotally mounted upon a stud I26, locked in place by a cotter pin I 27 the roller being tracked against the plate I Ill. The other limb I28 of the bellcrank lever extends at right angles and an eye bolt I30 is pivotally connected by a screw I3I the w g end of the limb. The eye bolt passes slidably through a bearing block I32 welded or otherwise secured to arm I22 and a spring I33 is located under compression on the shank I34 "of the eye bolt. A semi=spherical spring. seat I35 engages the bearing block I32 and'a wing nut I36 is 'screwthreaded upon the opposite end of the screwthreaded shank. I34 to permit adjustment of the compression spring I33.

9: The position of the bellcrank lever with respect to arm I22 may be adjusted by means of nut I3'I, screwthreaded on shank I34 and serving as a stop to locate the bellcrank lever with respect to plate I I.

As shown, the roller I25 is journalled horizontally and tracks against the side of plate IOI so as to facilitate vertical movement of plate I0! relative to the roller. The plate serves as a connecting element between the lever assembly I20 and the arm I00 such that actuating movements of the lever assembly I20 are transmitted to plate IOIcausing the plate to swing in an arc against arm I00 to'rotate partially the jaw actuating ring 96. The purpose of the bellcrank lever I23 and compression spring I33 is to establish a yieldable connection so that the jaws26 are yieldably urged into' clamping engagement with the ware. When the cam roller II4 rides over the lobe II'I (Figure 5) arms H5 and I22 will swing to the left, rocking the plate IN by engagement of roller I25 against the plate. The swinging movement of the arm assembly I26 is transmitted through the compression spring I33 such that the arm assembly I20 swings somewhat beyond the distance needed to engage the jaws 26 against the ware. Thus, after engagement by :the'ware, the jaws 26 remain stationary and the overrunning movement of arm assembly I20 is absorbed by compressing spring I33. v

The clamping movement of the jaws occurs during vertical movement of the chuck assembly 25 as can best be seen in Figures 4 and 7. In the position shown, the cam 46 has shifted arm H5 into jaw clamping position and cam 41 has just completed its chuck elevating motion with the ware in pressure engagement against the pressure plate 32 and the squeegee about to descend.

It will be seen that the work is centered'just prior to engagement by the pressure plate and the lobe I I1 will relieve arm II5 upon further rotation of the cam shaft so as to retract the jaws before the squeegee descends to the stencil. By virtue of the rock plate IOI, the clamping movement developed by cam 46 is transmitted to the arm assembly I20 and to plate IOI independently of the elevation of chuck. Additionally, the elevation of the chuck assembly may be adjusted'to suit the wars without disturbing the connection between the arm assembly I23 and the jaw actuating ,1ing66. Y

Squeegee operaufiing mechanism plate 32, the squeegee assembly 30 descends into yieldable engagement with the. stencil andware. As the squeegee descends the jaws 26 retract out of engagement with the ware so as not to interfere with the squeegee as it swings in its orbit to force the pigment through the stencil decorations to the work surface During this operation, the ware is held frictionally in position upon the wooden chuck block by the spring loaded pressure disk 32 which also stretches the stencil tautly across the ware surface so as to establish contact with the surface to be decorated as shown in Figure '7. I

As previously noted, the squeegee arm is raised and lowered by the cam 45 in cam housing 33 and when in contact with the ware, the squeegee is swung through its operating cycle of one revolution by the Geneva arm and gear 48 and 50. It will be noted in Figure 7 that the squeegee assembly is mounted upon a vertical shaft I38 depending downwardly from the outer end of the horizontal arm 28. Shaft I38 constitutes a drive shaft for rotating the squeegee, being connected to the Geneva gear 50 through a sprocket and chain drive as described hereinafter. Since the squeegee assembly is shifted vertically relative to shaft I38, there is provided a splined slidable driving connection between the shaft and thev squeegee. Shaft I38 further includes an internalbore to receive in telescopic engagement the spring loaded mounting shaft I39 for pressure disk 32. I

The squeegee assembly constitutes a yoke sleeve I40 splined as at I44 to shaft I38 (Figures 'land 10). At the top of sleeve I40 there is provided spaced flanges I4! and I42, the two flanges being spaced apart to receive the rollers I43- I43 of a yoke I45. I This yoke forms a part of a squeegee lifter assembly indicated generally at I46, which constitutes a yieldable beam pivoted-near its cen;- ter upon a cross shaft I41 carried. by a bracket I48 depending from the underside of arm- 28 The, rearward end of beam assembly I46 is pivotally connected by a'pivot pin I 50 to a clevis I5I secured to the upper end of a pushrod I52.- The lowerend of the push rod extends into the'cam casing 33 and is connected to -an actuating; lever I53 by a bearing block I54 pivotally connected by screw I55 to a'cam lever I53 (Figures 4 and 5).

The oppositeend of lever I53 is scc red'by set screws I56to a shaft I51 having its Opposite ends journalled in bearings I58-I58 mounted in the Walls of the cam casing 33. Acam roller-l60 ;is journalled upon a shoulder screw I6I", threaded into lever I53intermediate the length of the lever, the roller being tracked upon the operating rail I62 of cam 45. Lever I53 is, drawn upwardly to engage roller I50 against the cam by meansof-a tension spring I63 having its upper end anchored upon a stud I64 threaded into the wall ofthe casing and its-lower-endhooked to a clip I55 mounted upon the pin I66 passing into the oute end of lever I53.

It will be apparent that as cam 45 rotates, lever I53 will be raised and lowered according to the contour'of the cam rail I62. This movement is transmitted by pull rod I52 to the rearward end of'squeegee beam assembly I46, causing the squeegee assembly to be raised and lowered. The-raising movement of the squeegee andarm is positive since this, motion is developed by the cam and roller and transmitted in tension through the rod I52 to'the lifter arm I46. The downward stroke of the arm is spring urged byvirtue of tension spring I 63 and also by reason'of the-fact that theswinging forward end 0f the armpverbalances-the rearward endtending to swingthe arm downwardly by gravity. I I

- .In order to control the pressure engagement of the squeegee with the. stencil and ware; beam assembly I46 is articulatedand-is provided with an' adjustable spring'assembly I61 toward its for- "ward end,- joining the articulatedsections yieldably together. 'Describ'ed' in detail with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 8, arm I46 constitutes an outer frame I68 having a relatively narrow lug I10 at its: rearward end for pivotally connecting the bifurcated clevis to the frame. The inter mediate portionof the frame is 'pivot'ally'connected to the bracket I48 previously'noted, and the forward end of the arm is provided with a cross plate I'II to which is pivotally connected as at I12, the eye of an elongated eye bolt H3.

Eye bolt I'IB rises vertically and its upperend includes a knurled thumb'screw I'I4adjustably screwthrea'ded thereon providing a "seat for a 11 spring I 15 maintained in compression between nut I'M and the yoke arm I16 which fits within frame I88. The rearward end of yoke arm I19 is pivotally mounted upon the cross shaft I41 and-its forward end includes the yoke I45, connected to the yoke sleeve Mil.

Asbest shown in'Figure 8, the inner end of the yoke arm I16 constitutes a fork II'I including spacedbearings I18I-'l 8- journalled upon cross shaft "M1, the arm fitting within the outer frame I68 to center the yoke arm relative to theirame. Theforward' yoke I42 is joined to the rearward fork HT by a web I19 provided with a receptacle I80- providing a seat for the lower end of spring I15 and i'ncludi'ngcentral aperture for passage of the eye-bolt I13. When the squeegee engages the ware'at its lowerlimitof travel, as shown in Figure'fithe yoke arm I16 is held stationary and the-arm frame mil-continues its stroke thereby compressing the spring H- as indicated. The

pressure of the squeegee upon the. stencil is conappropriate direction.

Inorder to prevent the squeegee from descendinginpressure engagement upon the stencil screen, when a ware piece is omitted from the chuck, an electrically operated safety device is provided. As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the safety device constitutes an arm I8I- pivotally mounted as a't' I 82 upon a bracket I83 secured to the rear side of column 21. The upper swinging end of arm" I8I includes a stud I84 engageable with a stop plate I85 secured by screws 186 to the lug I of outer frame I68. In theposi-tionshown in Figure 2, the lug is engaged by the arm to maintai'n the arm and squeegee assembly inelevated position. Thea-rm-is moved to an inoperative positionas shownin Figure 3 by a solenoid enclosed in casing I81, alsosecured upon bracket I83 and connected by a link. I83 to the solenoid armature. The solenoid is energized by a limit switch I-SFI mounted in a-positionv to be actuated by the. rock plate IBI: when the plate swings 'beyond a-predetermined position when a ware piece is omitted from the chuck. A recycling switch I9 1, mounted in operating relationship withthe chuck elevating arm 6B1: (Figures 2 and 3) also is interconnected in the circuit as hereinafter described with reference-tothe circuit diagram of Figure 14-. The circuit is such that the safety'arm IBI swings to an operating position tofpre'vent descent ofthesqueegee when the ware is omittedfromthe chuck and the switch I9! retracts the safety arm I8I to permit normal operation on a succeeding cycle with the ware inthe chuck.

shown in Figure 7, the squeegee I93'is a conventional structure constituting a flat plate of wood or similanmaterial with a resilient WOlkihg. edge formed of rubber: or similar-materiaL-bevelled for contact with the stencil screen; The pigment is contained upon the "upper surface of the screen and the squeegee edge contacts the screen and sweeps over its surface, forcing the pigment through the stencil decorations for deposit upon the ware. in the customary fashion.

Thesqueegee- I93 is mounted by a screw I94 toa -mounting plate I95 in a manner to permit. the squeegee to be adjusted to the angle of the ware face. Mounting. plate I95 includes a clamp unit I95. engaged upon stud. $91. forming .a part of a slotted arm I98 (Figures l0 and 11). Arm I98 is securedto the lower end of the chucksleeve I49 va sprocket chain '2I3.

between an outer disk; I99 and an inner disk 200. These disks. are slotted to provide a passageway to receive the. arm I98 when placed face to face as shown, and. disk. I99 is secured to disk Zilllby screws 20I passing through disk I99 and threaded into disk 299. Disk 2% is .frictionally engaged against a recessed hub 262 forming an integral part of the yoke sleeve I40 and is clamped against. the hub by a screw 293 having a square head nested within the slot 204 of arm I98. The outer end. of screw 203 includes a nut 205 which may be loosened to unclamp the disk assembly with respect to the hub 202; and thus adjust. the angle of arm. I98. Arm I98 is socured to disk. I99 by screws 2% which include square. heads 20'! seated against. the arm with the shank of the. screws passing through the arm slot 2M- and projecting through the outer surfaceof disk. I99. Nuts ZIlfia clamp the arm to the diskandthese can. be loosened to permit the. arm. to: be adjusted. longitudinally, thus regulating the. radius of squeegee. rotation. These adjustments. provideuniversal adjustment of the squeegee so that the assembly may be adjusted conveniently" to; accommodate various sizes and shapes ofware pieces. The screw I9 for mounting the squeegee unit I93 may provide a regulatedamount of looseness. to permit the squeegee to adjust. itself relative to the. work. surface, .following the customary practice.

Squeegee drive The squeegee is rotated by virtue of the splined connection between shaft I38 and yoke arm I40 as previously noted The upper end of shaft I38 is journalled in a bearing sleeve 298 secured upon the lower surface of the arm 28, the shaft being secured to the hub of sprocket 209' by set screws 2IIl and key 2II (Figures 6 and 7). Vertical. displacement of the shaft is prevented by virtue of the bearing engagement of the sprocket hub with the sleeve. Sprocket 209 is in driving connection with a large sprocket 2I2 by As shown, the arm 28 is in the form of a housing to enclose the sprocket and chain drive, the top of the housing being closed by means ofa cover plate 2I4 to exclude dirt and dust. Slack in chain 2I3 is taken up by an idler sprocket 2I5 journalled upon the swinging end of an arm ZIS, the rearward end of which is pivotally mounted upon a stud ZI'I mounted in the lower wall of the arm 23. The arm 2I6 constitutes a bellc'rank lever provided with an angular limb 2I8 to which is connected a spring. 2I9 having its opposite end anchored to a clip 220. The clip is provided with a series of apertures 22I for engagement over a pin 2-22 whereby the tension of spring 2I9 may be varied to regulate chain tension.

The large sprocket 2 I2 is fixed upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 223 which extends downwardly through the hollow vertical column 21. The lower end of shaft 223 extends into cam housing 33 and is keyed as at 224 to the Geneva gear 59- (Figures a and. 5). The lower end of shaft 223 isjournalled in a bearing 225 mounted upon the top wall of the cam housing and the upper end of the shaft is journalled in a similar bearing 226 mounted in the arm 28. According to the structure. disclosed, the Geneva gear makes one-sixth of a revolution for each complete revolution of the Geneva arm 48, there being provided six slots 221 in the gear. In order to provide one complete turn of the squeegee around the ware per cycle, the ratio between "13 small .sprocket 269 and large sprocket 2I2 is six to one, therefore for each intermittent advancement of the Geneva-gear the squeegee makes one complete turn around the circumference of the ware.

In order to adjust the squeegee radially to starting position'relative to the stencil, the large sprocket 2I2 is keyed to shaft 223 through a tapered sleeve 228 keyed as at 229 to the upper end of the shaft and frictionally engaged in the tapered bore of a driving disk 230 to'which the sprocket is attached. This arrangement follows the structure disclosed with reference to the mounting of the cams upon the shaft, .the sleeve 228 being connected to the driving disk 230'by screws 23I passing through arcuate slots 232 formed in the top flange of sleeve 228 and threaded into disk 236. The sprocket is secured to' the driving disk 230 by means of screws 233 passing through the sprocket into the disk.

'As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cams. and Geneva movement are in a position corresponding to the position of the parts in Figures Band 7. Thus, the chuck assembly is elevated to stencilling positionby cam 41, the clamping jaws closed by .cam 46 to center the ware, and the squeegee assembly has been lowered by cam v45 It will be observed that lobe H1 is about to re- .tract the clamping jaws '26 and that the roller 236 of arm 43 is just beginning to enter one of the slots 221 of the Geneva gear. Before movement is imparted to the Geneva gear, the clampingjaws will have been retracted to a position out of engagement with the edge of the ware to permit free passage of the squeegee. The actuating faces of earns 45 and 41 are proportioned to maintain the squeegee in its lowered position during the stencilling swing of the squeegee and the chuck cam 41 maintains the chuck in operative position for substantially the same period of time. At completion of the stencilling sweep the squeegee assembly will be elevated and the chuck assembly lowered to the position shown in Figures land 2 with the chuck jaws retracted and ready for the next cycle of operation.

The spring loaded pressure plate 32 is rotatably mounted upon the lower end of the shaft I39 which is slidably engaged in a bore extending through the squeegee drive shaft I38. The lower end 239 of the bore is larger in diameter than the upper end 246, providing a shoulder 24I. Shaft I39 is counterturned to fit the upper and lower bores 239 and 240, providing a, shoulder 242. A spring 249' is maintained in compressionbetween shoulders 24! and 242 to urge the shaft downwardly. The upper end of shaft I39 extends beyond the top of shaft-I38 and is'provided with a stop collar 244 to maintain the spring loaded shaft against downward displacement.

The pressure disk 32 is formed preferably from wood or other relatively soft material and is ,mounted upon the lower end of shaft I39 by .means of a collar 241 having a flange 248 for Stencil mounting -In order to accommodate the various ware shapes, the stencil is adjustably mounted so that it may be adjustedhorizontally' and vertically with respect to the ware. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the stencil assembly is mounted for vertical movement upon a slideway 255 secured to the front of column 21. A slide block 256 is mounted for vertical movement relative to the slideway and'a cross bar 251 is secured to the slide block. .The stencil unit '3-I ismounted upon a pair of horizontally disposed angle irons 258-2 58 having their inner ends mounted upon slide blocks 260 which slidably engage upon the cross bar 251 on opposite sides of block 256. The blocks 260 each have a slot embracing the bar 251 covered by a plate 262 secured by screws 263. Each plate includes a set screw 264 arranged to frictionally clamp the block to the bar. The blocks and angle irons are shiftable laterally upon the cross bar 251 so as to accommodate various sizes of squeegee frames and are shiftable unitarily to permit shifting of the squeegee horizontally with respect to the ware. ,For this purpose, there isgprovided a rod 265 parallel with.

cross bar 251, withits opposite endspassing slidably through holes bored in the slide blocks 260. The respective blocks are secured to, the rod by means of set screws 261. By loosening the screws 264, with theset screws 261 tight, the entire stencil unit can be shifted laterally. On the other hand, the set screws 261 may be loosened to shift the blocks individually relative to eachv other to accommodate the stencil. g

The assembly is adjusted vertically by means of a screw shaft 268 in threaded engagement with cross bar 251 and having its lower end rotatably mounted in a boss210 formed in the foot of the column. The screw shaft 268 includes a knurled knob 21I keyed against rotation upon the shaft to permit convenient rotation of the shaft by'hand. The stencil may follow any desired construction and is disclosed in the form of a rectangular frame 212 having a stencil screen marginally secured to the frame (Figures 6 and '1). The frame 'is secured to the angle iron arms 258 by means of clamp members 213, in the form of flat plates having one edge resting upon the edge of the angle irons and the opposite edge resting upon frame 212. The clamping'elements are secured in clamping engagement with the frameb-y means of wing screws 214, the lower ends of which are in threaded engagement with one of a series of holes 215tapped in the angle irons.

By virtue of the universal adjustabilityof the stencil relative to the ware, the machine can be set up for accurate stencil registration and by operation of the centering jaws 26, each successive ware piece is brought into accurate registry with the stencil decorations. This permits the machine to be run at a high production rate to lathe according to requirements and installed conveniently on the machine. The vertical adjustment screw 268 controls the elevation of the stencil screen relative tothe ware so that the pressure of the screen against the ware can be regulated. A further vertical adjustment is provided by the thimble 15 for the chuck assembly, which changes the elevation of the chuck orthe relationship of chuck stroke to pressure plate 32. This adjustment may be utilized to adapt the can be of any requiredv contour as required bythe configuration of various ware surfaces.

Safety interlock Since the machine is of the continuous automatic type, it will continue to run through its cycle of operation whether or not a ware piece is placed in the chuck. The safety interlock prevents the squeegee assembly from descending to the stencil screen to prevent smudgingor damage as above noted, shouldthe operator fail to feed a ware piece to the chuck at the beginning of the cycle. As described with reference to the squeegee operation, there is provided a safety arm l8! pivotally mounted on the column and engageable with the squeegee arm to latch the arm in an inoperative position when the ware is omitted from the chuck jaws.

' As previously described, the normally open limit switch I90 is mounted adjacent the rock plate l! such that when the jaws are engaged against the ware the movement of plate)! is not sufiicient to close switch I90 but when the ware is omitted the plate will swing sufiiciently to close the switch. Referring to the electrical diagram of Figure 14, switch 90 is interconnected in a control circuit arranged to energize a solenoid 216 to swing arm I8! to latching position when the solenoid is energized. The circuit includes a pair of power lines 2Ti-27Sconnected to the drive motor 35 through a switch box 219 which follows standard construction and therefore is notdisclosed in detail. The switch box includesthe usual start and stop buttons and relays to control motor operation.

A branch line 289 extends from line 21? to one of the contacts of switch I99 and a branch line 28Iextends from the other contact to the winding of a control relay 282. The opposite end of the relay winding is connected to. the power line 218 by branch line 283, thus completing the relay circuit when switch I90 is closed. The relay is provided with a normally open. contactor 284 to establish a holding circuit to lock the relay in energized position since switch 198 is closed only momentarily when a work piece is omitted and the jaws 26 closed and it is necessary to keep relay 282 energized until the end of the cycle. The holding contactor 284 closesthe contacts of branch lines 285 and 285 to complete the holding circuit through the normally closed recycling switch 19! which is opened at the end of the cycle by the chuck lifter arm 60. p The holding circuit is completed by the branch line 28! leading to power line 211. second contactor 288 to complete the circuit from power line 211, through branch line 289, through contactor 288, branch line 290 to the winding of solenoid 216. The circuit is completed through the opposite end of the solenoid winding by a branch line 29! leading to the power line 215. When the winding of solenoid 216 is energized, the solenoid armature 292 is pulled to the right as indicated by the arrow, against the tension spring 293 causing the interlock arm lB-l to be Solenoid 232 includes a 16 swung to an operating position with respect to the end of the squeegee elevating arm.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that momentary closing of switch 199 will energize solenoid 282 and that the solenoid will be locked in closed positionvby the holding circuit established by contactor 234 and a circuit established to the solenoid 216 to prevent the squeegee arm from descending for that particular stencilling operation. However, when the cycle is completed and the chuck arm descends to its lower limit, normally closed switch l9l will be opened momentarily to deenergize the holding circuit through contactor 284, causing the relay to'be deenergized, whereupon contactor'238 will open to deenergize solenoid 216. When this occurs the safety arm will be retracted to its inoperative position by tension spring 293 so that the stencil arm may descend if a ware piece is placed on the chuck. If a ware piece is omitted at the next cycle, switch i951 again will be closed. to latch the squeegee assembly'in elevated position before. it begins its descent.

Having described my invention, 1' claim:

1. A machine for stencil decorating ware pieces comprising; a stationary stencil screen, a rotary squeegee disposed above the screen and'movable vertically relative to the screen, a vertically movable chuck disposed beneath the stencil screen and adapted to elevate a ware piece into printing engagement with the screen, a cam and lever connected to the squeegee to raise andlower the same with respect to the screen, a cam and lever connected to the chuck for raising and lowering the same, said cams mounted upon a cam shaft for unitary rotation, an intermittent gear driving arm fixed to said cam shaft, an intermittent gear mounted adjacent said arm and adapted to be ,rotated partially upon each rotation of the cam shaft, and transmission means connecting the intermittent gear to the squeegee and adapted to swing the squeegee through an arc of rotation for each partial rotation of the intermittent gear when the ware and squeegee are engaged against the stencil.

2. An automatic machine for stencil decorating ware pieces comprising; a stationary stencil screen, a rotary squeegee disposed above the screen and movable vertically relative to the screen, a vertically movable chuck disposed beneath the stencil screen and adapted to elevate a ware piece into printing engagement with the screen, movable jaws on said chuck for centering the ware pieces, a cam and lever connected to the squeegee to raise and lower the same with respect to the screen, a cam and leverconnected to the chuck for raising and lowering the same, a cam and lever connected to the chuck jaws for actuating the jaws, said cams mounted upon a common cam shaft for unitary rotation to actuate the squeegee, chuck and chuck jaws in synchronism with one another, an intermittent gear driving arm fixed to said cam shaft, an intermittent gear mounted adjacent said arm and adapted to be rotated partially upon each rotation of the cam shaft and transmission means connecting the intermittent gear to the squeegee and adapted to swing the squeegee through a cycle of rotation for each partial rotation of the intermittent gear when the ware and squeegee are engaged against tthe stencil with the chuck jaws in retracted posiion.

3. A stencil decorating machine comprising; a stationary stencil screen, a squeegee disposed on one side of said screen, a ware supporting chuck the chuck and screen,

the squeegee out of engagement with the stencil screen unless a ware piece is interposed between a control circuit in electrical connection between the ware responsive switch and latching device, and a recycling switch connected in the circuit and arranged to be actuated periodically by the ware chuck actuating means, the control circuit being arranged to maintain the latching device in latching engagement with the squeegee until the recycling switch is actuated by said means at the end of the cycle.

4. In a stencil decorating machine having a base, a stationary stencil screen, a rotary squeegee ,engageable with the screen and a warechuck movable vertically relative to the base for engaging the ware against the stencil screen, means for centering a ware piece upon said chuck comprising; a plurality of centering jaws movably mounted upon the chuck, a rotatable member carried bythe chuck connected in common to the jaws and operable to move the jaws toward or away from the ware, a pivotally mounted rock plate movable vertically with the chuck and in operative connection with the said rotary member, an actuating lever having a portion tracked against said plate to actuate the plate and jaws regardless of the position of the chuck, and means for ac,

tuating said lever in timed relationship with the vertical movements of the chuck and rock plate.

5.-In a stencil decorating machine having a base, a stationary stencil screen, a rotary squeegee engageable with the screen and a ware chuck movable vertically relative to the base, for engaging the ware against the opposite side of the stencil screen, means for centering a ware piece upon said chuck comprising; a plurality of centering jaws slidably mounted upon the chuck, a jaw actuating ring rotatably mounted upon the axis of the chuck, a plurality of links each extending at a tangent from the ring to one of said jaws, theends of the links being pivotally connected to the l ring and one of the jaws, an arm extending from the jaw actuating ring, a pivotally mounted rock plate movable vertically with the chuck, the end of said arm being in operative contact with said rock plate, a pivotally mounted actuating lever having yieldable engagement with the rock plate to actuate the plate and jaws regardless of the position of the chuck, means for actuating said lever in timedrelationship with the vertical movements of the chuck and rock plate.

6. A stencil decorating machine having a stationary stencil screen, a vertically movable rotary squeegee engageable with the screen, a ware chuck for engaging the ware with the opposite side of the stencil screen, a plurality of centering jaws slidably mounted upon the chuck, an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the base of the machine, means connecting the lever to the centering jaws for actuatin the jaws, means for actuating said lever in timed relationship, with the vertical movements of the squeegee, yieldable means interposed in said lever whereby the ware piece is centered by a yieldable engagement with the centering jaws, an electrical contact element, an electrically operated interlock device connected to the contact element, the interlock device being operable to lock the squeegee out of engagement with the screen, said contact element being associated with the centering jaws and adapted to actuate the interlock device when a ware piece is omitted from the chuck and the jaws move toward each other beyond a normal ware engaging position.

7. A stencil decorating machine having a base, a stationary stencil screen, a rotary squeegee engageable with the screen, actuating means for elevating and lowering the squeegee with respect, to the-screen, a ware chuck movable vertically relative to the base for engaging the ware against the stencil screen, a plurality of centering jaws slidably mounted upon the chuck and adapted to center a ware piece on the chuck, a pivotally mounted element on the chuck operable to move the jaws toward or away from the ware, actuating means on the base of the machine arranged to actuate the pivotally mounted member on the chuck in timed relationship with the vertical movements of the squeegee, an electrical switch mounted in operating relationship with the pivotally mounted element on the chuck and adapted to be closed unless a ware piece is interposed between the jaws, an interlock device in electrical connection with said switch, the interlock device being adapted to latch the squeegee in an elevated position when the switch is closed to prevent the squeegee from contacting the screen when a ware piece is omitted from the chuck.

BRADFORD MARTIN.

REFERENCES CETED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,189,121 Kaefer June 27, 1916 2,124,011 Smith -1 July 19, 1938 2,261,255 Jackson Nov. 4, 1941 2,437,224 Emerson Mar. 2, 1948 2,492,052 Martin Dec. 20, 1949 

